Crook’s concern is to
find a Christian approach to work,
property and community different from capitalism and communism. Note the compatibility of his approach to
natural law ethics.

Capitalism:
‘the system of private ownership of the instruments of production,
distribution, and exchange, and the use of those instruments under a plan of
individual initiative and open competition to earn private profit’ (Crook, p.
228):

1.Problems
with property: acquisition and use of
property (falling into the hands of a few, misuse of property)

2.Problems
with free enterprise: unrestricted
accumulation and use of money may run counter to the needs of society as a
whole

3.Problems
with competition as the basis for trade:
competition to regulate quality of products, set prices, establish wages,
determine which products will be produced may not always be decided best by
unregulated competition in the market-place.

4.Problems
with profit as the primary motive for
driving the economic system: but profit now may involve payment later in
destruction of the environment, or profit for a few may involve exploitation of
the labourer.

Values

Virtues

Actions

1.‘Nature has an intrinsic value’: Gen. 1.31 (‘it was
very good’); Ps. 19, 89, etc (nature praises the Creator); Ps. 8 (nature
reflects Creator’s glory); Rom. 8.19ff (‘nature will take part in the final
fulfillment of God’s purposes)

2.‘Human beings are part of the natural order’ and
interdependent with it: Gen. 1-2 (part of creation); Gen. 3.19 (made from the
dust).

3.‘Human beings have a responsibility for the natural
order’ as trustees (not owners): Gen. 2.15 (till and keep the garden); Gen.
1.14 (‘dominion’ over creation)

a.Value resources more than profit margins

b.Value right of private property, but understood as
trustees of God’s world: Ps. 24.1 (‘the earth is the Lord’s and all the
fulness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein’); Ex. 20.15 (‘do not
steal’àprivate
ownership)

c.Value the worker and work as a vocation (including
being able to see connection between the product and the worker, being free
to choose careers)

d.Value the individual’s right to make significant
choices

4.Value one’s neighbour: Lev. 19.18 (love your
neighbour as yourself)—perhaps going beyond the Genesis story, but creation
or natural law does impose on us the value of others against any selfishness
(or worse: vengeance, grudges—Lev. 19.18) to which we might be inclined